Chapter 30 – Love Letter
Allow Qiao Huaiyao to grumble from the bottom of his heart, but he didn’t see anyone outside carrying firewood coming in.
Bai Jinyan remained calm and composed, just watching him. Qiao Huaiyao pursed his lips, no longer pinning his hopes on firewood, trying to break the deadlock himself.
His gaze wandered, and between clenched teeth, he said, “It’s just a brother, what else could it be?”
Bai Jinyan raised an eyebrow, thoughtfully nodded, and asked, “Just a brother?” Judging from Qiao Huaiyao’s reaction just now, it was clearly not that simple.
“Cough.” Qiao Huaiyao cleared his throat, even the movement of forwarding files in his hands came to a halt.
If he continued, the message on Bai Jinyan’s phone would pop up directly.
His brother would easily see the note on it.
“Brother…” Qiao Huaiyao elongated his voice, a slight nasal tone carrying a hint of honesty, looking at him with innocent and earnest eyes, “Brother, I’m hungry.” The voice sounded like a kitten extending its paw, tenderly touching the palm.
Watching Qiao Huaiyao’s attempt to deceive, Bai Jinyan chuckled lightly, feeling helpless but unsure how to respond.
He raised his hand and pinched Qiao Huaiyao’s cheek, handing the phone back to him and saying, “I’ll get some drinks.”
Qiao Huaiyao’s eyes curved, understanding Bai Jinyan’s intention not to pursue the matter.
His voice turned cheerful as he responded, “Sure, thanks, brother!”
While the door was closed, Qiao Huaiyao used Bai Jinyan’s phone to forward the files to himself.
At the same time, the phone on the table lit up.
A notification popped up: ‘Kindergarten Class Katan Spirit’ sent a message.
Qiao Huaiyao looked at the name and smirked, lightly tapping his finger twice. He almost got caught.
Bai Jinyan returned with the drinks, followed by his aunt carrying the hotpot. They had ordered a spicy and non-spicy side, so they could enjoy the hotpot and the soup.
The aunt pushed a small cart of dishes and said, “All the dishes are here. If you need more, just order. If you need anything, press the bell on the left, and I’ll come over.”
The cart was conveniently placed on the right side, level with the table, making it easy to pick dishes.
Notifications kept buzzing. Qiao Huaiyao picked up his phone to check.
The supervisor had sent messages regarding the physical condition of some students after the drill, announcing a half-day rest tomorrow for their well-being.
The message advised students to seek medical attention if feeling unwell and provided the supervisor’s contact information.
Qiao Huaiyao said, “Brother, I have half a day off tomorrow morning.”
Some students hadn’t returned yet, and the supervisor likely assumed they would be back late.
Another training day might strain their bodies. So, giving them a half-day off tomorrow morning would allow them to recover.
Qiao Huaiyao calculated the time and suggested, “I can drive you to the airport tomorrow.”
Bai Jinyan didn’t refuse. With a noon flight, there was no need to wake up early. He put some dishes into a bowl and pushed it towards Qiao Huaiyao.
Qiao Huaiyao put down his phone and replied, “Okay.”
The fiery oil boiled with chili and peppercorn, intimidating to look at. But with the cooked meat and dipping sauce, it wasn’t too spicy and carried a unique aroma.
They finished the hotpot, and Qiao Huaiyao’s lips turned a bit red. The fiery pot raised the room’s temperature, even with the air conditioning on.
Qiao Huaiyao drank his cold beverage, slowly finishing the contents of his bowl. He didn’t need to add food; Bai Jinyan would scoop it out for him. Initially, he didn’t feel it, but as he continued, the spiciness kicked in.
Qiao Huaiyao put down his chopsticks and took a sip of his drink. Bai Jinyan noticed and replaced the unfinished spicy ingredients with some broth-based ones. Qiao Huaiyao blinked, then smiled.
They finished their meal, and the day was still bright when they left the restaurant. Bai Jinyan returned to the university to submit his assignment, making use of the day before his flight. With the time spent on the flight, it was already a full day.
They would likely stay overnight in the city. Since home was nearby, there was no need to pack much. However, they’d need many things when they returned, considering the variety show would start filming directly from the hotel. So, Qiao Huaiyao brought a suitcase. He stuffed some thin clothes inside.
As he was doing this, he remembered a manga in his dormitory. “Brother, when you come back, could you bring me a transparent box from the study?”
These were custom-made; you couldn’t find them on the market. He had ordered a lot previously to store his manga properly.
“Sure, the manga box?” Bai Jinyan vaguely remembered the custom boxes in Qiao Huaiyao’s room.
Qiao Huaiyao nodded, “Yes, that one.”
He didn’t need much space for the thin clothes, so the suitcase wasn’t full.
Qiao Huaiyao pushed the suitcase outside and noticed Bai Jinyan making a call. He probably discussed work after.
Not wanting to disturb him, Qiao Huaiyao sat on the sofa and checked his secondary Weibo account.
He hadn’t been active due to busyness but never missed a daily check-in.
He took care of the tasks that earned him experience and then opened the public feed. Finally, he clicked into Bai Jinyan’s hashtag.
Since he hadn’t checked for a day, there were new pictures of Bai Jinyan.
Behind-the-scenes shots from a drama, screenshots of a movie poster, and even photos of him running.
But the most popular were the jogging photos.
Compared to other polished images, these were crude, not particularly clear.
Qiao Huaiyao instantly recognized them as from today’s morning jog during military training.
Bai Jinyan wore a cap, but some students still recognized him and took photos.
Maybe due to the ongoing training or Bai Jinyan’s reputation, no one had approached him.
They only posted the photos after training ended.
The pictures were taken from a distance, a bit blurry, but Bai Jinyan was distinguishable.
They even included a GIF.
Qiao Huaiyao and Bai Jinyan’s hands were intertwined.
Qiao Huaiyao was sure it was a misalignment.